Instagram will not sell photos of your brunch or your dog, so you can calm down

A new terms of service agreement introduced by popular photo-sharing app Instagram sent the entire internet into a tizzy this week. Due to some poor wording, users believed that Facebook's changes to the Instagram interface included giving Instagram the rights to sell users' photos -- to whoever they want to sell them to -- without compensating the user at all.

Turns out, though, the situation was less dire than we thought.
Instagram has responded to the endless user complaints with a message that might placate your panic. Yes, they will introduce advertising and sponsored posts into your feed -- a pretty common part of any free app or service.

But no, they will not be selling the photos you take of your dog looking like an alien while sitting in his moose bed.

"Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed," writes Kevin Systrom co-founder. "We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period. I always want you to feel comfortable sharing your photos on Instagram and we will always work hard to foster and respect our community and go out of our way to support its rights."